Statue of Fame in entrance courtyard at Powis Castle

The Statue of Fame is located in the entrance courtyard at Powis Castle and is a significant example of Baroque sculpture. It was created by Andries Carpentiere, a pupil of John van Nost, likely between 1705 and 1716. The statue was probably cast using lead from the Llangynog mines owned by the Powis family and was originally the centerpiece of a fountain in the Baroque water gardens at the foot of the garden terraces, which were largely completed by 1705. After the water garden was demolished between 1801 and 1809, the statue was relocated over the west gateway into the courtyard and later moved to the center of the courtyard, where G.F. Bodley designed a basin for it. This basin was not successful, but the statue remained in the courtyard. In 1987, the statue was restored, and a lead trophy of arms, based on a work by Antoine Coysevox for Louis XIV, along with a stone plinth, were added at that time. The statue depicts a winged female figure of Fame being borne by Pegasus and serves as a dramatic centerpiece at the castle entrance, representing a relic of the lost water gardens.